Dental Checkup
The dental exam is critical to your ongoing oral health and Dr. Shabanpour can perform this by looking inside your mouth for things that can affect your oral—and your overall—health. The dental exam can catch problems early before you see or feel them; when they are much easier and less expensive to treat. Some of them are early signs of cavities, condition of your gums (such as periodontal pockets, inflammation or other signs of gum disease which can lead to tooth and bone loss), evaluate existing condition of previous dental work, early signs of mouth or throat cancer, suspicious growths or cysts, position of your teeth (e.g., spacing, bite), signs that you clench or grind your teeth, signs of bleeding or inflammation on your tongue and on the roof or floor of your mouth.
As well as the visual inspection of your mouth, the exam includes a complete medical history so Dr. Shabanpour knows about any health conditions that may affect the success of dental treatments or procedures. It may also include an examination of your neck area, with the dentist feeling the glands and lymph nodes for possible signs of inflammation that could indicate general health problems; and dental x-rays, if necessary. These can show such problems as cavities under existing fillings, fractures, impacted wisdom teeth, decay under your gum line and bone loss caused by gum disease.